


Pandora's Box

by Calesvol



Category: Girls Next Door (Webcomic), Labyrinth (1986), Labyrinth: The Coronation (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst with a Happy Ending, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Established Relationship, F/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Pika La Cynique, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-01
Updated: 2018-12-01
Packaged: 2019-09-05 00:34:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16800160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Calesvol/pseuds/Calesvol
Summary: Jareth finally decides to show Sarah the contents of the box he hid under his bed. (Based on Labyrinth: The Coronation).





	Pandora's Box

Warning(s): G, none

* * *

It was always late when the ghosts of the past came back to haunt him. If there was one advantage to spending half his time in the human world nowadays, it was that most of his subjects couldn’t pay witness to such a damning scene. They couldn’t be exposed to his vulnerability, to see him page through a past he rarely if ever visited.

Not before them.

It was a humbling scene, nonetheless. In the quiet dark of his room, Norrington was on a date with his lady love and Erik had taken Mags to the opera, a pastime both enjoyed with great aplomb. The other habitual peanut gallery that haunted their apartment was nowhere to be found, and while he’d normally be remiss to be without some sort of audience, this time it was too personal.

It was the box. Pandora’s box that he couldn’t allow anyone to see.

All save one person.

He was still getting used to texting Sarah as opposed to simply teleporting to her apartment, what with that wretched Sneak-o-scope still in effect despite he and Erik’s largely reformed ways. It was as new as the idea as Sarah willingly becoming his lover. Girlfriend, as they put it nowadays.

He told her it was something important. Something they had to speak about regardless of how their relationship would eventually pan out, regardless of how the contents of this box made his insides curl in revulsion. But, after everything that had happened, everything he knew, didn’t Sarah deserve to know the truth?

The rapping of knuckles at the door. Jareth’s head lifted and he lifted that damning box to set it on the table with a lingering, reluctant look before schooling his features in that more feline mischief Sarah was so used to seeing.

“Why hello there, Sarah,” Jareth greeted with a genuinely delighted lilt in his voice, “do come in. You look ravishing as always, precious.”

Arms folded across her chest, blinking owlishly, Sarah quirked a brow. “You do know I’m basically rocking post-studying bedhead and PJ’s, right?” she quipped with a wry smile, earning a fond look from Jareth. Rare, these truly emotive displays. Usually, they were pronounced by some sort of flirty cattiness and flustered defensiveness. Guess who was whom. “So, uh, what’s up? This isn’t some late night booty call just because Erik and James are out, is it?”

“Oh, Sarah, you wound me!” Jareth proclaimed in mock offense as he stepped aside to allow her entry. “Truly, if you wished for such, who would I be remiss to indulge—”

Sarah stopped short of the table. “…Why is the box out?” she wondered aloud, glancing at the Goblin King. “Jareth?”

This caused his initial façade to crumble into something uncharacteristically somber. He nodded towards the table. “…Do sit down, Sarah.” She did as was told, curiosity likely the faster culprit than any reticence. If it was something as goofy as his usual propositions for marriage, this likely wasn’t it. Jareth sat down heavily beside her, gazing upon the box.

“You’ve…done a great deal to learn to trust me, Sarah. I suppose it’s only fair play that you should finally know the truth. To who I am.” Sarah was fixated upon the box, nodding slowly. Steeling himself, silently did he remove the lid and a profusion of mustiness emanate from inside, the contents stacks of aged and cracked papers, journals—artefacts of an old, dead life. One he could scarcely even remember, what with he having left it behind when he was still an infant. 

From them did he produce some small painting centuries old, the plaque upon it reading: _Count Albert Tyton and Countess Maria Tyton and their son, Jareth Tyton, 1708._ The air almost left the room when he did, Jareth setting the painting grimly upon the table.

“It’s deceptive. My mother only played at a family with my father, Sarah, as was fashionable for the bored noble. In truth, my mother was a Venetian maid, from a lowly launder family. I was the bastard son of Lord Albert Tyton, an English nobleman.” He smiled, a hollow look. “He banished me away to the Underground as recompense for his wish to keep his wealth from slipping from his fingers, from being disowned by his father; he renounced us. My mother, Maria, attempted to find me as you did Toby. Except, she failed where you succeeded.”

This admission caused Sarah to stare in mute shock at the painting, at the uncanny resemblance Albert shared in likeness with his son. As if she was staring at an older, human likeness of Jareth. “You were…a human being?” she said finally, incredulously, glancing at Jareth. “What happened?”

Jareth looked visibly uncomfortable but forged ahead. “My predecessor, the Owl King, needed a successor. When I was stolen away, he chose me. And in doing so, I earned my mother’s and his magic after they passed away. I became the Goblin King, first of his name.” He looked tortured, like someone was wheedling a hot brand beneath his flesh.

“…I’m sorry about what happened to you and your family, Jareth. Really, I am.” Gingerly did Sarah place a hand on his arm, causing Jareth to flinch but not shy away from her touch.

Before he could say anything else, Jareth hastily stashed the portrait away and slammed the lid back on the box, a shimmery cloud dusting over it as he muttered some unintelligible incantation. Sarah didn’t need it explained to know it was to keep from further prying, Jareth standing hastily and hoarding the box covetously to his chest, his back to her and head hung.

“Sarah, promise me something,” he said suddenly, causing the address to perk up almost nervously. She wasn’t used to Jareth like this, after all. He sounded so worn suddenly, so exhausted. “…Promise me you’ll never tell anyone of this. That we never speak of it. Act as if I never told you a thing, please.”

Though it made her heart ache, at least he trusted her enough to have told her at all.

“Okay Jareth, I promise.”

Seeing him smile, over his shoulder did he quip, “Help yourself to the hot cocoa, will you? I’ll put this old, ratty thing away and we can watch some horrible B-movies together. How does that sound, precious?”

Nodding, Sarah tucked a stray lock behind her ear. “Okay, Jareth. But I get to pick the movie, deal?”

“Of course, beloved. Of course.~”

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: If it isn’t obvious enough, I only ship Sareth as they exist in Pika la Cynique’s Girls Next Door and the manga sequel, Return to Labyrinth. I don’t ship them as they appear in the original movie for personal, probably obvious reasons.


End file.
